STAND. COM. REP. NO. 409

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 192

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 192 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HEARING AID DEVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to promote full inclusion, independence, equal access, and quality of life for persons with hearing disabilities by requiring private health insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Disability and Communication Access Board, Kaiser Permanente, American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, and Hawaii Centers for Independent Living.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by Hawaii Association of Health Plans.  Comments on this measure were submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Hawaii Medical Service Association.

     Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that hearing aid devices are necessary for the health and safety of individuals with hearing disabilities who require them for daily living.  Your Committee further finds that the actual benefit provided for hearing aid devices should be particularized in insurance policies.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by excluding limited benefit policies such as accident-only, specified disease, hospital indemnity, medicare supplement, long-term care, dental, vision, or other limited benefit health insurance policies from the requirement that private health insurers cover the cost of hearing aids.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 192, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 192, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair